Memória Prospectiva e Epilepsia no Lobo Frontal Prospective Memory and Frontal Lobe Epilepsy

Introduction. Patients with Frontal Lobe Epilepsy (FLE), although generally demonstrate a good performance on traditional memory tests, show many forgetfulness in daily life, compromising their academic, professional and social life. Such forgetfulness is related to the Prospective Memory (PM), which consist in remembering, on the right moment, an intention to be made in the future. Objective.This article has the purpose of review studies related to the prospective memory and its functioning in patients with frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE). Method. Literature review, using database Medline and SciELO, from 2007 to 2011 in the English language, with the words memory, prospective memory and frontal lobe epilepsy. Results. 238 articles were identified, 23 met the inclusion criteria. The studies showed the influence of the frontal lobes in the performance of PM, but from these only few specifically addressed the FLE. It was compared the performance related to PM in patients with FLE and TLE (Temporal Lobe Epilepsy) and both showed losses in daily life memory. Conclusion. The good performance of PM requires the involvement of frontal structures. Patients with frontal epilepsy may present impairments in their daily lives, having difficulties which hin der their autonomy and independence.